ENGLISH
REFERENCE

royal bumps

idiom
Meaning

A ritual of two or more persons holding another person by the arms and legs, face up, while bumping them repeatedly on the floor. In modern times it is a lighthearted affair, generally performed only on a young person's birthday with the number of bumps corresponding to the person's age in years. Historically it was a hazing.


Examples
SIMPLE

We gave our son his royal bumps for his fifth birthday.

CONTEXTUAL

The children gathered around their friend to give him his royal bumps as part of the birthday tradition.

COMPLEX

Following the long-standing custom, the students hoisted their classmate into the air to administer the traditional royal bumps for his eighteenth birthday.

Anchors to
Related idioms1entry
  1. 01

    give the royal treatment

    To treat (someone) extremely well.

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